The present invention relates to a medical device for injecting liquid.
An application for such a device can lie, for example, with a pump used for injecting contrast liquid for medical imaging.
A major problem that results from injecting liquid into patients lies in the risk of the injection device being contaminated by the patient. When a liquid is administered to a patient, there is a risk of the injected liquid flowing back after it has already come into contact with the patient. Also, in the absence of injection, there still exists a risk of contamination by contaminating agents, such as germs, migrating from the patient to the injection device. As a general rule, this situation makes it essential, when treating a new patient, to change all of the portions of the device that have already been used.
There exist several devices in the prior art for reducing the risk of such backflow: EP-A-648513 in the name of MEDEX S. A. describes an injection unit that includes a non-return valve, for example. EP-A-279028 in the names of KABI PHARMACIA GmbH and PFRIMMER-VIGGO GmbH claims a liquid injection device having a non-return valve characterized by the fact that the opening pressure can be set to either of two positions.
Although prior art devices do indeed reduce the risk of backflow, there still remains the risk of the non-return valve leaking. This risk is particularly high in the absence of injection.
The present invention thus seeks totally to eliminate any risk of backflow. In addition, the present invention also seeks to make it possible to detect any leak through the safety means that are installed to avoid such backflow, assuming such backflow might indeed take place.
To this end, use is made of a device for injecting liquid, the device comprising a piece of tubing on which there is situated at least a first liquid occlusion system such as a non-return valve. In addition, a regulation system is situated upstream from the first occlusion system, the two systems defining an intermediate segment in which the pressure, in the absence of injection, is greater than the pressure that exists downstream from the first occlusion system. In this way, any leak of liquid at the first occlusion system is directed downstream and any leak from the intermediate segment can be detected by measuring the associated pressure drop.
The terms xe2x80x9cdownstreamxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cupstreamxe2x80x9d mean respectively towards the patient and in the opposite direction.
By way of example, the regulation system can be a second non-return valve or a system for flattening the tubing, such as the wheels of the peristaltic cassette corresponding to patent FR 89/03234 in the name of MALBEC S. A.
It should be observed that the regulation system cannot be considered merely as constituting a safety system in addition to and independent of the first occlusion system.
On the contrary, the two systems together constitute an interactive assembly since the presence of the regulation system makes it possible to set up, and optionally to maintain, a positive pressure difference between the two systems to prevent any leakage of liquid located downstream from the first occlusion system from flowing upstream towards the intermediate segment.
It should also be observed that the pressure difference between the two systems is constant in the absence of a leak since the space between the two systems is filled with liquid which, like any other liquid, is incompressible.
In order to increase the safety of the device, it is also desirable to have systems of different kinds. As a result, if one system should fail, the other can nevertheless continue to act, in a manner similar to that described in the prior art.
Furthermore, when using systems of different kinds, and more precisely systems characterized by the fact that each of them has a different opening pressure, it is possible to direct the flow direction of the liquid in the event of a leak or high pressure in the intermediate segment.
In particular, if the opening pressure of the first occlusion system is less than the opening pressure of the regulation system, any liquid movement during an interruption of injection will take place downstream, the regulation system closing before the first occlusion system, thereby avoiding any contamination of the portions of the device situated upstream from the first occlusion system.
Similarly, in the event of high pressure in the intermediate segment, the first occlusion system will be the first to open in the event of a leak, thereby causing the liquid to go downstream from the first occlusion system and thus preventing any backflow towards the intermediate segment.
It is also possible to envisage that the two opening pressures of the regulation systems are identical, however that can only be envisaged if the opening pressure is greater than the pressure that exists downstream from the first occlusion system when there is no injection.
In addition, it is desirable to have an opening pressure for the first occlusion system which is greater than the maximum pressure that can be set up downstream therefore because of the patient in the absence of injection. Also, in the absence of injection, it is necessary for the opening pressure of the first occlusion system to be greater than the pressure of the intermediate segment.
In most cases, in the absence of injection, the pressure that exists downstream from the first occlusion system corresponds to the venous pressure of the patient.
In another preferred embodiment, it is desirable to provide the tubing with a disconnection system situated between the two regulation systems. The disconnection system marks the boundary between a downstream tubing for single use only and an upstream tubing for multiple use.
Thus, when the tubing is contaminated only downstream from the disconnection system, it is possible to change only that portion of the device while reusing the remainder thereof (pumping system, peristaltic cassette, reservoir, etc.) with other patients.
The disconnection system is preferably situated as close as possible to the second regulation device or, which comes to the same thing, as far as possible from the non-return valve. Thus, in the highly improbable event of contamination propagating upstream, the risk of contaminating the zone situated upstream from the disconnection system is minimized since the path to be followed to reach the disconnection system is as long as possible.
In another preferred embodiment, the disconnection system is provided with occlusion means for the tubing which are activated prior to disconnection, thereby avoiding any risk of liquid being ejected from the tubing which is under pressure. Such an automatic closure system is described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,549,566 and 5,533,996 in the names of ABBOTT LAB and BAXTER INT. INC., respectively.
The above-mentioned occlusion means can also be designed so as to open during connection.
By way of example, such disconnection systems can be of the xe2x80x9cluer-lockxe2x80x9d type coupled to a rotary cock system on each of the two connected segments. In addition, the connection system between the two pieces can be of the key and lock type, thus allowing interconnection to take place only between two elements that are properly encoded relative to each other. Such a rotary system makes it possible to open and close the two cocks placed on either side of the connection when the key is turned in the lock, while preventing the two pieces from being disconnected when the key is engaged in the position corresponding to the open position of the occlusion systems.
The occlusion system situated in the downstream segment can also be a non-return valve, and the system in the upstream segment can be a check valve that is open when the two pieces are engaged or, alternatively, the two occlusion systems can be check valves that are open only when the two pieces are engaged.
In another preferred embodiment, a pressure sensor is situated on the intermediate segment. As a result, it is possible to detect any pressure variation in this zone.
When the pressure sensor comes back into contact with the tubing, it is advantageous to place it between the disconnection system and the regulation system; this configuration has the merit of making it possible to reuse the same pressure sensor configuration for a plurality of patients.
In the absence of injection, any pressure drop between the two systems implies that a leak is present which, very likely, might have taken place in the first occlusion system or in the regulation system.
If the leak has taken place in the first occlusion system, then contamination can propagate into the tubing for multiple use.
If the leak has taken place in the regulation system, then contamination has not necessarily propagated into the tubing for multiple use, but the risk of that happening has nevertheless been increased since any leak at the first occlusion system gives rise to a drop in pressure in the intermediate segment, thus eliminating the effect of the means installed in the context of the present invention.
In order to mitigate the two above-described situations, it is advantageous to associate an alarm 102 with the pressure sensor placed on the intermediate segment. Furthermore, in even more advantageous manner, liquid injection can be triggered as to reestablish the initial pressure when the alarm is activated.
It should also be observed that maintaining a high pressure in the intermediate segment, close to the pressure for opening the first occlusion system, can serve to favor leakage at said first occlusion system.
To this end, means are provided to reduce the pressure in the intermediate segment. These means can be constituted by an intermediate chamber of adjustable volume. By way of example, the volume of the intermediate chamber can be adjusted by a piston. Thus, the pressure which exists in the intermediate segment can be selected so as to be greater than the pressure downstream from the first occlusion system and far enough away from the opening pressure of said first occlusion system to make full use of the sealing characteristics of said first occlusion system. Another means enabling said pressure to be lowered below the opening threshold of the first occlusion system consists in selecting a regulation system whose opening can be adjusted in such a manner as to lower the pressure of the intermediate segment to a predetermined value.
Although adjusting the pressure in the intermediate segment considerably reduces any risk of contamination, it is still possible after an alarm is triggered to change the portions that might have been contaminated, for example portions such as the peristaltic cassette. Under such circumstances, it is advantageous for this purpose to provide a second disconnection system upstream from the regulation system.
Optionally, a second pressure sensor can be placed on the segment of tubing which is to be found downstream from the first occlusion system, thus making it possible, for example, to detect any excess pressure compared with the pressure in the intermediate segment.
It is also possible to provide the device with a system for measuring the pressure difference as measured by the two sensors, thus having the advantage of determining the risk of backflow more directly. An alarm can be triggered when the pressures situated upstream and downstream of the non-return valve are tending to become equal.
The medical device of the invention can also be designed in such a manner as to deactivate the alarm when the single-use tubing is disconnected.
The medical device of the invention may advantageously include a syringe driver 100. A pressure sensor 108 can be placed on the distal end of the piston 106 of the syringe driver.
Assuming that syringe driver 100 is used, it is possible to consider the syringe 104 itself as being an integral portion of the intermediate segment, and the syringe itself can form the regulation system. In addition, under these circumstances, the syringe 104 can also act as a system for regulating the intermediate chamber so as to enable the pressure in the intermediate chamber to be adjusted.
The medical device of the invention can be used with any type of liquid, and in particular it can be used for injecting contrast liquids.